Fran Goldthorp ready to grow her union game back in the PWR

Dual-code star Fran Goldthorp is relishing her time back in the world of rugby union after a whirlwind few years jet-setting the globe.

The Loughborough Lightning full-back returned to Premiership Women's Rugby a round into the season following a two-year stint at Australia’s top-flight NRLW team, the North Queensland Cowboys.

It was a voyage which saw her grow not just as a rugby player but as a person, before making the decision to return to England during the rugby league off-season to continue her own personal progression.

"It's been a really exciting few weeks," she said. "I've really enjoyed coming back to the environment and the PWR it's definitely improved from last time I was here.

"I think I've developed not just as a player but as a person a lot since the last time I was at Loughborough.

"Moving to the other side of the world gave me such independence and belief in myself as a player.

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"Coming back, I know have more confidence and trust my skillset a lot more whilst still knowing what I can improve to take my name to the next level.

"It's been a good challenge for me and exciting to see how I've transitioned back in and grow my game in a world-class league."

Before Goldthorp jetted off to the other side of the world, she had already made a name for herself in England, winning two Super League titles with Leeds Rhinos and playing in a home Rugby League World Cup.

That time included a first link-up with Loughborough Lightning between March 2021 and March 2023, also seeing her called up to the England Under-20 union side.

Goldthorp is already making waves in the PWR as she dotted down for a try in her first game back for Lightning.

And while a rugby union World Cup in 2025 might sound tempting, Goldthorp admitted that the event is not yet on her mind.

She added: "Right now the plan is to go back to Australia but I don't really know what's going to happen in the next few months.

"I'm trying to just play rugby, stay healthy and see what happens off the back of that."

It is difficult to believe that Goldthorp is still just 21 years old, having successfully conquered both codes at such a young age.

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Most would question when she will pick between league and union and settle on just one code, but the Loughborough player reveal that she currently has no ambitions to give up her dual life just yet.

"I always get asked when I'm going to make the decision of what I want to do but I just want to put myself in the best position of where I can grow and become a better rugby player," she said.

"At the minute that means swapping between the two and whether that will change I don't know.

"I think it's harder going from league to union because obviously there's bigger aspects to the game, like we don't have to do a ruck or floor work in league.

"I'm still trying to get to grasps with that again and let it positively impact my game."

Loughborough Lightning currently sit seventh in the Premiership Women's Rugby table with one win to their name coming against Sale Sharks in Round 3.

It has been a difficult start to the season for Nathan Smith's side who are still finding their form as a squad but Goldthorp believes once the connections are firing, they will be nothing short of 'electric'.

"We've got a very positive thing going and it's just the fluidity and how we're connecting that's stopping us at the moment," she said.

"We know that when we play at our best, which we've seen in snippets in training but haven't necessarily brought into the game just yet, when it clicks it is electric.

"When we're at our top, we know we can beat teams. We know how good we can play we just need to secure the ball so we can attack how we know we can attack."